MRI scans may be helpful for most of society, not everyone can use them. For example, many claustrophobic people cannot stand the cramped and confined space and the bore is to small to accommodate people who are obese. There are scanners that are made to be larger, but these machines have weaker magnetic fields, so it is easier for it to miss abnormal tissues. Also, there has been limited research on the biological effects of the magnetic fields on a developing fetus. This means that most MRI facilities do not want to scan pregnant women, for fear of damaging the fetus. Most mothers to be do not want to damage their soon to be born babies, so they might choose to forgo being treated to insure that their babies are healthy. Other people who should not or cannot be scanned are people who’ve had brain surgery, been a machinist, a welder or a metal worker, or have epilepsy.Another problem is tattoos. Nowadays, it is almost
impossible to walk down the streets without seeing someone with a tattoo. But
what’s the problem? Strangely enough, tattoos done up to twenty years back used
ink that contained extremely small fragments of metal for pigmentation. While
more recent tattoos are made with metal free ink, some facilities do not allow
anyone with a tattoo to be scanned. Some patients, who have been scanned and do
have tattoos, have described a burning sensation around the area of their tattoos
that ranged from a slight discomfort to a severe pain. This is caused by the
magnets pulling forcefully at the metal fragments in the tattooink. And even
if the patient has a metal free tattoo, the tattoo may cause a distortion,
called an “artifact” on the final scan image, rendering it useless. Then there is the problem with metal items. Even small
things such as paperclips, pens, keys, scissors, jewelry and stethoscopes can
be suddenly pulled out of pockets and off bodies, and fly toward the opening of
the MRI at high speeds, becoming dangerous projectiles. Big objects pose an
even greater risk. Mop buckets, vacuum cleaners, IV poles, patient stretchers,
heart monitors and countless other objects have been pulled into the magnetic
fields of MRIs. A young boy was even killed in 2001, when an oxygen tank was
pulled into the bore during his scan. This also means that no one with
pacemakers (which can malfunction in or near the MRI), aneurysm clips in the
brain, metal dental implants, metallic fragments in the eye or anywhere else,
insulin pump, metal implants, hearing aid or a prosthetic device can safely
take an MRI scan. This means that many people will be excluded from using this
potentially lifesaving piece of technology due to certain pieces of equipment
that may be vital to their survival. Although doctors are beginning to use more plastic prosthetics
and implants, many of the more elderly members of society have metal versions,
not to mention pacemakers and hearing aids. This is slightly ironic, as it is
these people who may be in the most need for an MRI scan, which they unable to
receive. But it doesn’t just affect the
elderly. Anyone with tattoos, who have had surgery, are pregnant, deaf,
claustrophobic, obese or work in an industry where they are exposed to metal,
are not privy to this piece of biotechnology. MRI scanners may be useful, but
what use are they to the many people who are not able to use them? Hopefully, a
solution for these problems will soon be found, but for now, MRIs remain a
mostly exclusive piece of medical equipment.